Against the Wind: Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof - Plough

Against the Wind
manuscripts. 8 By the end of July, after submitting his major final paper, on
Immanuel Kant, Eberhard turned his full concentration toward his dissertation
and imminent examination.
Summa Cum laudE
The tone of Eberhard’s letters to Emmy grew more confident even as each passing
day brought the moment of his examination nearer. Back in March he had declined
an offer from the Evangelical Alliance Bible School in Berlin, which would gladly
have appointed him as a teacher after his examination. On June 13 he wrote to
Emmy of his belief that, “with the Lord’s guidance,” a committee of his friends and
acquaintances in leadership circles would provide him with “a position this winter
with an apartment in Jena, combined with ministry in the neighboring towns of
Leipzig, Halle, and Erfurt.” This came very close to describing what would actually
happen. The next day, June 14, he wrote to Emmy again: “I am absolutely certain
we can marry at Christmas.” On June 27 he cheerfully announced, “From August
on I have no prosects whatsoever”– meaning plainly and simply that he was
virtually broke – “but the Lord will do wonderful things.” His faithful hope did not
deceive him.
Eberhard handed in his application for a doctorate on November 3 to Professor
Fuchs, Dean of Philosophy at Erlangen University. In it he confirmed payment
of 240 marks (the examination fee), and that he had sent 250 copies of his 79­
page dissertation to the university syndicate. The dissertation’s third chapter,
on Nietzsche’s The Antichrist, had to be cut for lack of space. The full text of
Eberhard’s uncut work first appeared in print in 1910 in the book Early Christian
and Anti-Christian Elements in the Development of Friedrich Nietzsche. 9
Eberhard’s thesis greatly impressed Professor Falckenberg, as his report clearly
shows: “Profound and exact knowledge of the subject… absolutely independent and
critical evaluation of previous treatments of the question…much that is new and
original, thorough use of sources…judgments always maturely considered…broad
outlook, and spiritual maturity.” And finally, “Performance by a young master, for
which I must recommend the grade 1” – the highest possible mark. 10 Now only
Eberhard’s examination remained. Topics: history of philosophy, and systematic
philosophy and pedagogy. Date: Tuesday, November 30. Time: six o’clock p.m.
To the horror of Emmy’s parents, on the very eve of his examination Eberhard
stopped halfway between Weimer and Erlangen to deliver a lecture. He was then
taken by sleigh to the train and traveled through the entire night. The following
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